How to prepare, prune, and cover roses for winter in Siberia

Many gardeners dream of a beautiful plot and flowerbed. Plants can be difficult to maintain in cold climates. Some require special care, not just during active growth. For example, flowering shrubs require care and preparation for harsh weather. To preserve the garden's crown jewel, you should know how. covering roses for the winter in Siberia.

Stages of rose preparation

In warm locations, rose bushes don't require much care in winter. In fact, they can rot if kept too warm. There are areas where temperatures don't drop to critical levels. There, snow acts as a natural shelter, preventing roses from freezing in winter. In these cases, the bushes require pruning and top dressing in autumn.

But in areas where the cold season is harsh, proper preparation, pruning and shelter in the autumn are needed. The main stages of preparation for winter:

• plant feeding;
• removal or pruning.

Experienced gardeners advise considering the rose variety. Hybrid teas and some climbing roses are not cold-tolerant, so it's important to prepare well for winter. Miniature roses and floribundas are more resilient than others. The key is to avoid over-insulation to prevent the plants from rotting in the spring. By autumn, the bushes should be strong and healthy, with well-ripened shoots. Excess water and nitrogen fertilizers at the end of summer inhibit the maturation of the wood on the bushes. Experienced Siberian gardeners know that snow depth plays a significant role. In November, it should be about 25 cm, and in midwinter, 55 cm.

Fertilizing and pruning the bush

In early August, it's recommended to stop watering roses. This period of dryness lasts until October. In mid-autumn, the bushes are given generous amounts of water. This water should penetrate as deeply as possible and nourish the roses throughout the winter. From early September, stop loosening the soil around the bush to prevent budding during this time.

The root system and stems weaken over the winter, so the plant needs to be fertilized. Avoid overfertilizing, as this will stimulate vigorous growth, which is harmful in the fall. A proper fertilizer includes phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, diluted according to the instructions.

Pruning a bush includes leaf removal and dried branches. Shoots that have been damaged or broken are also removed. Green leaves and fresh branches are not spared. They won't survive the winter, but new ones will grow in the spring. Attention is paid to the variety of the bush, for example:

1. Standard roses. Only branches that are stiff are trimmed. The remaining branches are laid out on the ground, being careful not to damage them, and then dug in.
2. Climbing rose varieties. Remove dead, old, overly long, and diseased branches, as well as shoots older than three years. To prevent pests and diseases from infecting other plants, burn them.

Under natural conditions, the bush enters a dormant stage during fruit ripening. After this stage, the formation of new shoots ceases.

Besides creating insulation in the garden plot, there is another option. After the necessary pruning in the fall, the roses are dug up along with the soil, placed in buckets (covered with moss) or plastic bags (tied tightly around the roots), and lowered into the basement until the nighttime temperature drops to -9. ⁰WITH.

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When choosing any type of insulation, it's important to leave an air gap in the area. This is essential for a safe winter. If the bushes and the material touch, there's a risk of evaporation by early spring. However, too much covering should be avoided, as this can deprive the roses of oxygen.

Shelter made of pine needles

Spruce branches are considered good insulation for low (less than 50 cm) rose bushes. It's important to consider the timing of covering. If you start too early, the plant will be susceptible to damping off under the insulation. And if you miss the right weather, it will freeze. A good time is when the temperature drops to -5°C. ⁰WITH.

Covering is carried out in several stages:

1. Loosening the soil. First, remove debris, dry grass, and leaves from the flowerbed. Carefully loosen the soil around the bush, being careful not to disturb the roots. The soil should be approximately 5 cm thick.
2. Spraying with copper sulfate. Dissolve 30 g of the solution in a small amount of water. Dilute to 5 liters and apply as quickly as possible using a sprayer. Coverage rate: 10 liters per 100 m.²In addition to copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture is used.
3. Pest control. After treating with a fungicide against disease and insects, wood ash is recommended as an additional treatment. Apply it generously to the soil around the bush.
4. Hilling with peat or soil. At night temperatures below 5 ⁰Dry components are used for piling. Small seedlings are hilled up to half their height. Tall bushes are hilled up to 1/3 of their height.
5. Covering with spruce or pine branches. In dry, cloudless weather, lay spruce branches on top of the bushes. Beginner gardeners fill the gaps with grass, sawdust, or leaves. This is a big mistake, as these materials quickly deteriorate when exposed to moisture.

Insulation with polyethylene

A simple and effective shelter greenhouses are consideredIt's recommended to ensure adequate ventilation to prevent bushes from rotting. Metal supports or rods are installed over the roses. Some do this in advance. Many gardeners dig trenches to allow water to drain. Insulation can be applied to a single bush or an entire row. It should be started before the onset of cold weather.

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The arches are covered with roofing felt and polyethylene. The edge of the first layer is slightly raised to allow air circulation. However, this is not considered essential. Cardboard or bitumen-coated paper can be used as a substitute for roofing felt.

Removing the cover in spring

When planting roses, choose areas of soil that are higher than the rest of the soil. This is done to prevent damaging moisture from accumulating in the bed in the spring. Another advantage is that these areas warm up faster than other areas.

When the first warm days arrive, the bushes are uncovered. It's best to do this at the optimal time, as roses can be either frozen or overheated. Experienced gardeners rely on the soil's condition. If the soil has thawed to a depth of 10-15 cm, they begin removing the insulation. This usually happens in late April or early May.

Don't open the insulation abruptly or remove it completely. Roses need time to acclimate to sunlight and temperature fluctuations. This is done in several stages:

• raise the edges of the material;
• completely open one side of the shelter;
• the entire structure is being removed.

An important aspect is that The insulation should be removed in cloudy weather.The plant can get sunburned by direct sunlight. Coniferous branches should be removed immediately after the thaw begins. Avoid exposing the plant to moisture, as this will kill it. To acclimate the bushes to sunlight, shade them for the first 5 to 10 days.

The final stage in rose preparation is spring pruning. Dead shoots are removed, the plant is fertilized, and the soil is loosened and watered. Once you understand how to cover roses for the cold season, you can rest assured that your beloved bushes will thrive. Following these steps correctly will ensure the roses last until spring.